History of Krav Maga

Krav Maga was developed in Czechoslovakia in the 1930s by Imi Lichtenfeld, also known as Imi Sde-Or (Sde-Or–”Light Field”–a calque of his surname into Hebrew). He first taught his fighting system in Bratislava in order to help protect the local Jewish community from the Nazi militia. Upon arriving in the British Mandate of Palestine, Lichtenfeld began teaching Kapap to the Haganah, the Jewish underground army. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Lichtenfeld became the Chief Instructor of Physical Fitness and Krav Maga at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) School of Combat Fitness. He served in the IDF for 15 years, during which time he continued to develop and refine his hand-to-hand combat method. In 1964 he left the military though continued to supervise the instruction of Krav Maga in both military and law-enforcement contexts, and in addition, worked indefatigably to refine, improve and adapt Krav Maga to meet civilian needs.

In 1978, Lichtenfeld founded the non-profit Israeli Krav Maga Association with several senior instructors. The Israeli Krav Maga Association has existed continuously from that day and is still located in Netanya Israel. Grand Master Haim Gidon was elected President of the IKMA by an assembly and a vote of over twelve hundred members and still serves as President, Grand Master and 10th dan black belt. Imi Lichtenfeld died in January 1998 in Netanya, Israel.

The Israeli Government has recognized the IKMA as the continuation of Imi Lichtenfeld’s system The Prime Mister of Israeli recognized Grand Master Haim Gidon for his work in krav maga . Prior to his death, Imi Lichtenfeld published a list of his highest level students, their ranks and witnessed this document in the presence of a notary . Imi Lichtenfeld signed a notice that Grand Master Haim Gidon should be present at an student or instructor rankings of brown belt and above.

Expansion to the USA

Prior to 1980, all experts in Krav Maga lived in Israel and trained under the Israeli Krav Maga Association. That year marks the beginning of contact between Israeli Krav Maga experts and interested students in the United States. In 1981, a group of six Krav Maga instructors traveled to the US to demonstrate their system, primarily to local Jewish Community Centers. The New York field office of the FBI and the FBI’s main training center at Quantico, Virginia saw it and expressed interest. The result was a visit by 22 people from the US to Israel in the summer of 1981 to attend a basic Krav Maga instructor course. The graduates from this course returned to the US and began to establish training facilities in their local areas. Additional students traveled to Israel in 1984 and again in 1986 to become instructors. At the same time, instructors from Israel continued to visit the US. Law enforcement training in the US began in 1985.
Krav Maga is currently being taught as a primary hand-to-hand combat technique at some police departments in the United States.

Current usage

All Israel Defense Forces soldiers, including all Israeli Special Forces units, learn Krav Maga as part of their basic training, although most non-Special Forces trainees only spend a small amount of time training in Krav Maga, up to a week of training for a few hours per day. Further, Krav Maga is the defensive tactics system used to train the Israeli Police, Israeli Intelligence and all Security Divisions. Krav Maga is also taught to civilians, military, law enforcement and security agencies around the world. The Swedish Army uses Krav Maga lightly in close combat training for urban warfare. Schools can be found everywhere from Australia and the UK to South Africa. The International Krav Maga Federation (IKMF) in Netanya north of Tel Aviv trains some of the world’s top bodyguards, who use Krav Maga as a trade fighting art since it includes several exercises in evacuating a VIP through a hostile crowd. Also, the tactics for dispatching several opponents quickly is vital for personal protection agents. Krav Maga is also being deployed in the Palestinian territories, particularly for its versatility, where Israeli soldiers adapt it for crowd control purposes.

There are 3 levels of practice: for the army, for the police, and self-defense for civilians. Those 3 levels feature differing techniques due to their specialized applications (i.e. attack, threat-neutralization, or self-defense).

Testimonials

J. Cummins

IPTT Testimonial: On July 15th and 16th, 2011, I attended the Israeli Professional Tactical Training (IPTT) basic shooting, high risk...

2013-12-02T14:23:17+00:00

IPTT Testimonial: On July 15th and 16th, 2011, I attended the Israeli Professional Tactical Training (IPTT) basic shooting, high risk security and, handcuffing courses. These courses were taught by Garret Machine, instructor for the IPTT program and an Austin Self Defense Master Instructor. I have 8 years of total law enforcement experience, some of which was spent in the United States Army. I have been to countless courses to better myself as a current police officer and to prepare myself for any situation I may come across. I was highly impressed with the quality, intensity and degree of training received. I found Garret Machine to be an excellent instructor, showing you step by step what you need to learn from each drill. I found myself pulling different point from these classes and where I could apply them, not only in my profession but my life. After the basic shooting course I became a better more proficient concealed carrier. After the high risk security course I learned ways to protect a principle may it be a loved one, friend, or your partner. From all three courses I was able to take skills that I could apply during an active shooter/homicide in progress situation. I highly recommend these courses to military, police, or anyone wanting to have the upper hand in future terroristic acts. Sincerely, J. Cummins Police Officer, Austin, Texas, USA

http://www.austinselfdefense.com/testimonials/j-cummins

Dave R.

I thought the class was great, and a lot of fun. I'm sure it will get better as my fitness...

2013-12-02T15:43:36+00:00

I thought the class was great, and a lot of fun. I'm sure it will get better as my fitness level improves. I could maybe have used more time to practice each exercise, but given time constraints, I can understand needing to move along. I thought the instructor(s) was great. Everyone was very friendly and supportive, so I think you're doing a great job with that.

http://www.austinselfdefense.com/testimonials/dave-r

Shawna

Thank you for the follow up email. I had a great time last night, I enjoyed the class very much....

2013-12-02T15:44:16+00:00

Thank you for the follow up email. I had a great time last night, I enjoyed the class very much. The instructor explained drills well, he engaged the class, assisted individuals when needed. The workout was great, and the information conveyed in class was useful in itself as well as a building block for future skills. The facility is clean and conducive to workout needs, the location is convenient... I don't have any feedback regarding how to improve or what I think could have been different. It was a great class and I'm looking forward to the next. See you Wednesday!

http://www.austinselfdefense.com/testimonials/shawna

Angie C.

I've been a member of Austin Self Defense for several years now. They offered a kickboxing class that I enjoyed...

2013-12-02T15:44:52+00:00

I've been a member of Austin Self Defense for several years now. They offered a kickboxing class that I enjoyed from the first time I tried it. The kickboxing class has been replaced by CrossFit and I'm glad that I got the opportunity to be a part of this awesome transition. I viewed this change as a new challenge and each class I finish feels like an achievement. The workouts are NEVER the same and ALWAYS make you push yourself to your limits. The coaches are awesome and encouraging. They make you push yourself just a little bit harder if that little voice in your head is telling you to quit. I look forward to class each week (Monday and Wednesday evenings & Saturday mornings.) If I have to miss for any reason, I always feel like I'm going to miss something really special. If you are looking for a fun, challenging workout, come give ASD CrossFit a try.

http://www.austinselfdefense.com/testimonials/angie-c

Julie H.

ASD is a great place to learn Krav Maga self defense. I was looking for some self defense techniques to...

2013-12-02T15:45:32+00:00

ASD is a great place to learn Krav Maga self defense. I was looking for some self defense techniques to learn b/c I run a lot by myself on trails or in the early morning, and I hated the feeling that I didn't feel very safe as a woman on her own. However, I was not interested in committing to a 2 year black belt program from a typical martial arts program. Krav Maga is the perfect discipline for getting practical self defense skills you can use quickly, especially the way ASD teaches it. I just signed up by myself for a trial class, not knowing what to expect~ Yet, after a few months of attending classes just twice a week, I feel more capable of defending myself, escaping an attack, as well as be more cognizant of how to avoid one altogether. I think the ASD difference is the people! Kicking and punching in order to get away from someone is not a typical thing people practice and learning how to do this can take people of their comfort zone. However, the instructors are so helpful and friendly it sets a positive mood in class making it much easier to move out of your comfort zone and learn something new. Moves are broken down into simple steps and practiced, practiced, practiced. The instructors are also willing to stay after class for additional questions which is very cool. I have also found my classmates to be supportive and eager to help you improve, whether you are a 250 lb man or a 110 lb woman! I have met some great new people who are at all different levels of their training and fitness. Furthermore I like that this is a more 'skills' focused class in which, if you want, you...